Thanksgiving As Only He Can Do It
by UniqaChica
Summary: The Castle Clan plus Kate Beckett on Turkey Day?  What could possibly go wrong?  Ch. 5 edited by popular demand.
1. Ring

(A/N: I wanted to do a fluffy Thanksgiving fic. And since Jellicles really don't celebrate Thanksgiving...CASTLE! Hope you enjoy!)

Summary: The Castle Clan plus Kate Beckett on Turkey Day? What could possibly go wrong?

Disclaimer: You know what? On holidays, I feel so good that I don't even care if I don't own Castle. … I'm just lying to myself, aren't I?

Thanksgiving As Only He Can Do It

A Beckett/Castle Fanfic

by Jill Diamond

~Chapter One~

_RING RING_

"Yeah, Castle?"

"_Detective. So nice to hear your voice._"

"Castle? Stop. With the games. Whaddya want? I'm a little busy here."

"_Busy? You're sitting on your couch eating Chinese, aren't you?_"

"It's Thai, and it's none of your business!"

"_Exactly. And if I'm correct, you still haven't changed out of your pajamas, have you?_"

Kate's eyes turned to her slippers. She wiggled her toes inside pathetically.

"_Mm hm. The silence says it all._"

"Why are you so keen to show off your mind reading powers today?" the detective asked as she quickly put away her chopsticks, though there was no need to do so.

"_I am being particularly psychic today because I am inviting you to Thanksgiving dinner...with me._"

Beckett nearly choked on her oxygen.

"What?"

"_I know this is the only way you're going to get a decent meal tonight. And...I want you to come._"

There was a brief silence on both ends, but it was the farthest thing from awkward.

"_Plus, Mother bought a whole new outfit for the occasion and she will be 'absolutely distraught' if no one else gets to see her._"

Kate felt guilty now that he was playing the mother card.

"Well, I hate to disappoint poor Martha-"

She was cut off by a ringing of her doorbell, and she continued as she got up to open it.

"-but I have absolutely..." she paused as she stared, mouth agape, at the dress box on her doormat, "...nothing to wear."

"_And this is why you can never say no to me!_" Castle chimed in an overly-Castle-ish tone. "_Five-thirty sound okay?_"

"I hate you."

(A/N: I know it's short, but it was mostly dialogue for effect. The second one will be longer and fuller, I promise.)


	2. Presenting

~Chapter Two~

"We-e-ell. Your fairy godmother has exceptional taste."

"Let's just hope this one doesn't get blown up," Beckett joked, with a hint of awkward that Castle didn't pick up on. What Castle had bought her seemed to be another one of her boat-neck tops, in a navy blue color, that had sprouted a matching A-line skirt. With this she wore a thin black bracelet and her best pair of pumps. Her hair also fell in soft new curls.

"Well, we can't just simply waste your beauty in the doorway; come in!" A broad grin was the epicenter of all Castle's giddy features as he gestured her in. The rather expensive fireplace crackled warmly and all of the lights had been dimmed, except for the harsh fluorescent glow from the kitchen, erupting with delicious smells. Alexis stood behind the counter, putting the finishing herbs in the stuffing. Her ginger red hair was pulled slightly away from her bright face, and she wore a simple lilac dress with no sleeves. When she spotted the detective, she lost interest in chopping parsley and glided over to the foyer.

"Detective Beckett, hi!" she exclaimed, extending her arms for a hug, which Beckett gladly accepted.

"Nice to see you again, Alexis. And you can call me Kate."

The youngest Castle nodded in agreement.

"How come I can't call you Kate?" her father asked with a pout. Beckett gave him an obvious stare.

"Because you're my partner, not my roommate."

"We were roommates at one point."

Kate reminisced about the brief period where she in fact was a guest in Castle's loft, after her apartment was bombed. Seeing his hair mussed and gel-free in the morning was definitely a bonus. She sighed internally, but dropped the subject.

"So when's dinner?"

"Oh, it shouldn't be very long. Ten minutes tops," Alexis answered dutifully.

"_Richard!_" a glamorous voice called from upstairs. "_I need your help! I can't quite get into my dress!_" She strained her voice on the word "quite".

"Mother, can't Alexis help you?" the novelist whined in response.

"_She's got her hands full! Now be a man and help your mother in her time of need!_"

"You heard her, Castle. Be a man," Beckett added in the slightest of mocking tones.

Castle groaned to himself as he climbed the modern-style staircase. His daughter giggled.

"You know, it's so weird to hear you call him 'Castle'. He's always been just 'Dad' to me."

"Well, to me, calling him anything else would be weird. It's just the business," the brunette shrugged. Alexis mimicked her motion, and then returned to the kitchen. Leaving Beckett to do one of her favorite activities.

Snoop.

She aimlessly roamed around the living room, looking under every little knick-knack and flipping up each corner of the rug. She rolled her eyes at the proudly displayed collections of _Martha Stewart Living _magazines and _One Life to Live_ DVDs. And that's when she spotted the hammer, placed ingeniously out of average sight behind copies of _Storm Season _and _At Dusk We Die. _She wanted to examine it more closely, but she heard the footsteps of Castle's return and thought better of it. He stopped at the middle landing and conspicuously cleared his throat.

"Presenting, everyone's favorite "Mousetrap" star, mother, and all-around diva, Miss Martha Rogers!"

Castle quickly hopped down the steps as Martha made her grand entrance.

She descended with her usual air of fabulousness about her. She wore a fitted pearl white dress that bunched at the knees, and a matching, equally fitted pea coat. Her feet had been perfectly pedicured for her black heels, and she wore so many rings that is must have been a great strain on her to raise her hands.

"Oh, Gram, you look beautiful!" Alexis said, with just a hint of acting in her voice.

"As usual," Beckett added.

Martha had been so busy bathing in her own light that she didn't even notice the detective's presence.

"Oh! Darling!" She hobbled down the stairs as fast as she could in her heels, arms outstretched. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming! And oh, don't you look fabulous!"

"I, uh...had some help with the wardrobe." Kate devilishly winked in Castle's direction when Martha wasn't looking. "Oh, and Castle told me about Chet; I'm so sorry."

The diva held up her hand.

"Thank you, darling. But we can't speak of sad things today. This is a holiday for rejoicing!" She ushered Beckett over to the table, where Alexis had already set out the silverware. Castle dutifully pulled out a chair next to his seat at the head of the table.

"For you, your highness."

Beckett smiled, but sat down without a word. Castle scampered off to get the food as Martha and Alexis took their seats across from the detective.

The handsome novelist named off each food with his worst French accent as he brought it to the table, occasionally tweaking an invisible mustache. The water in Beckett's mouth increased with each dish he set down. Turkey, stuffing, corn muffins, mashed potatoes; she wondered why she even ordered Thai in the first place.

"And last but not least, because of the stupid, seemingly never-ending pumpkin shortage, we have a cherry pie for dessert."

Beckett felt her cheeks flare up.

(A/N: Teehee. Cherries. ^^ CHERRIES FTW!)


	3. Eager Beaver

~Chapter Three~

Alexis lay a hand on her bloated stomach.

"Ugh, I am never. Eating. Again," she moaned. She weakly lifted her glass of cider to her lips and took a sip.

"You said it, kiddo." Martha took a gulp of her wine in agreement.

Castle and Beckett sat alone, still at the table. Since the detective's stomach was already half full before she arrived, she was able to stop herself from eating too much, and now lingered her fork around her pie plate. Castle was trying desperately not to fall under his turkey's lulling effects as he silently conversed with her. They hardly looked at each other, but they were enjoying the company.

"Hey, Castle..." She plinked her fork down on her plate and her countenance turned serious. "I just...I want to apologize...for being such a bitch on the phone before. There's just something about the holidays...after my mom..." She trailed off and tried her best not to start up the waterworks. "I just never felt quite settled."

Castle reached across and took her hand in his warm grip, running his thumb across the back in a comforting motion. Her head raised up slowly and their eyes locked. There was another comfortable silence, and the edged of Kate's mouth twitched up into the tiniest of smiles.

"...I really should be going," she whispered, and then raised up from her seat still holding Castle's hand. She kept holding it until she got to the door.

"Thanks, Castle. For the dinner, for your hospitality...for everything."

"Will you still be saying that after you walk out the door?" he asked, half devious and half ashamed.

"What?"

He coughed conspicuously again, and rolled his eyes to ceiling as indication. Beckett followed his gaze.

Nailed to the molding above the door, clear as day to everyone except those outside the hall, innocent as it could be, was a tiny sprig of mistletoe.

_So that's what the hammer was for._

"Don't like to waste any time with Christmas, do you, Castle?" she griped. Castle could tell by her gritting teeth that she was trying not to punch him. He could only respond with an impish grin. The detective took a deep breath and unclenched her fist.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

Before Castle knew what happened, Beckett's mouth had crashed onto his. Her hand reached up and grabbed the back of his neck firmly as she intensified the kiss. He was so taken aback that his lips barely responded, but Kate kept on kissing. When she broke apart, she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth.

"Tradition is a beautiful thing," she said in a breathy voice, due to her lack of oxygen. And with that, she sauntered out the door.

Castle's knees were still quivering.

(A/N: Writing kissing scenes are so awkward for me. Probably because I've never actually been kissed myself, but whatever.)


	4. Back Up

~Chapter Four~

Beckett brought her trembling hand up to her lips as she sat down hard in the hallway just outside Castle's door. She had just done possibly the most dangerous and wonderful thing in her whole life.

Why had she just done it?

She knew how smart-ass he would get about it. She knew that he would tell the Blabbermouth Twins, Esposito and Ryan, and she knew they would spread it like wildfire across the precinct. She knew that the press would be all over her, considering her "the next Castle-catch". The country would be betting on if their supposed relationship would last two weeks or if she would become number three in the Castle Marriage Club. She knew it would make her life a living hell. So why?

Because it was tradition.

No, it was more than tradition. She had just used the mistletoe as an excuse. Richard Castle was probably the most wonderful man in her life. He was funny, sensitive, smart, and he saw her as more than just an all-work, no-play detective or a bar-hopping babe. He always told her that she was extraordinary, when really it was the other way around. Sure, he had his faults. He hardly ever acted appropriately in serious scenarios, and he needed to learn to keep his mouth shut. But it had taken Beckett two years to overlook those minor defects, and for that she was ashamed. Though, she knew that Castle was like a hot potato – he hardly spent anytime with one person before he moved on to the next. She wanted to use the kiss to say "this is how much I love you and you don't need anyone else". But she had probably gone a little overboard, and he had more than likely thought it was a "I need you NOW" kiss. Because Castle was Castle, and he just thought like that.

Beckett got up slowly from the floor and walked out to the elevator.

(A/N: Needed a mushy chap.)


	5. Ring Again

~Chapter Five~

_RING RING_

"Hello?"

Castle heard a horrible retching sound on the other side of the phone.

"_Castle, I hate you_," Beckett moaned miserably.

"You sound horrible." His eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"_I feel horrible. I got food poisoning from something at dinner last night! The first thing I did this morning was throw up, and I haven't left the bathroom since. I'm leaning over the toilet as we speak._"

"Aw, geez. Though, it must have been your Thai, because if it was from the dinner, then I'd be down on my knees with you...Ooh, there's a thought."

Beckett responded with another disgusting retch.

"_I hate you_," she repeated.

"Aw, don't sweat it, Beckett. By the time you get better you'll have gone right back to loving me."

He heard a small, sharp intake of breath, but nothing more.

"You still there?" he asked curiously.

"_Yeah, it's just...I gotta go_."

"Okay. And Beckett?"

"_Yeah?_"

"Merry Christmas."

"_Shut up_."

_The End_

(A/N: Again, mostly dialogue for effect. Glad this is finished. CASKETT FTW! And I love writing for Martha; she's just so...glamorous. Mkay, bai-bai. And have a great Turkey Day! Reviews make me all fuzzy.)


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